Health Technology Update: Issue 3, June 2006
Scanning the Horizon
Informing Decision Makers About Emerging Medical Technologies
Inukshuk at Clyde River, Nunavut.
Photo composition by Paul Ting and Vera Saltzman.
In April 2006, the Canadian Coordinating Office for Health Technology Assessment (CCOHTA) was renamed the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH).
At the same time, all of our publications received a new “look,” including this newsletter. However, the goal of the Health Technology Update remains the same: to provide brief, informative articles about new and emerging health technologies.
Test to Predict Who May Benefit from Implanted Defibrillators
HearTwave® II Microvolt T-Wave Alternans System.
Photo courtesy of Cambridge Heart.
A test that measures tiny changes in the electrical activity of the heart may identify which patients with heart disease are at negligible risk of sudden cardiac death due to ventricular arrhythmia and therefore may not benefit from an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). The ICD is a device that terminates arrhythmias with a high-energy shock.
Creepy Crawly Care: Medicinal Leeches in Modern Medicine
The Hirudo medicinalis leech has 300 sharp teeth within the muscular head sucker.
Photo courtesy of Ricarimpex.
An age-old treatment, medicinal leeches have made a comeback as emergency salvage therapy when surgical options fail to re-establish blood flow after tissue grafting and limb re-attachment surgery.
Suturing Device to Reduce Needlestick Injuries in the Operating Room
The SuturTek 360° Fascia Closure Device with disposable needle-protected suture cartridge.
Photo courtesy of SuturTek Inc.
The SuturTek 360° Fascia Closure Device™ is designed to reduce needlestick injuries during suturing procedures in the operating room (OR). The needle is contained within a cartridge, thus avoiding exposed “sharps” that may injure the surgeon, other OR staff, or the patient.
New Sinusitis Treatment May Be a Breath of Fresh Air
A flexible balloon catheter is inserted, then inflated, to widen the sinus passages.
Photo courtesy of Acclarent Inc.
A minimally invasive procedure for opening blocked sinus passages uses techniques similar to those used in balloon angioplasty to unblock coronary arteries.
Using Lasers to Destroy Liver Tumours
The laser is directly applied to the tumour through optical fibres.
Photo courtesy of Dr. M. Mack.
Laser energy can destroy liver tumours in patients who are ineligible for surgery, resulting in survival outcomes similar to patients who undergo traditional surgery.
PET-MRI Scanners: A Further Evolution in Diagnostic Imaging
Black and white MRI images beside coloured MRI-PET fusion images.
Photo courtesy of GE Healthcare.
Scanners that combine the capability of positron emission tomography (PET) with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are now being developed. PET evaluates metabolic aspects of disease, while MRI provides high-resolution anatomical information. The PET-MRI scanner is a further evolution of an earlier hybrid, PET–CT, which combines PET with computed tomography (CT) imaging.
New and Emerging Health Technology Reports
Recent Reports from CADTH and Other HTA Agencies
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